Big Bear Lake, CA, May 17, 2013 – The Big Bear Lighthouse Project has recruited the country’s most influential farmer, Joel Salatin, to deliver the keynote address at their 2013 Community Summit.

Salatin is a third generation alternative farmer in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The family’s Polyface Farm has been featured in Smithsonian, National Geographic and Gourmet magazines, as well as countless other radio, television and print media outlets. Profiled on the “Lives of the 21st Century” series with Peter Jennings on ABC World News, his after-broadcast chat room fielded more hits than any other segment to date. It achieved iconic status as the grass farm featured in the New York Times bestseller Omnivore’s Dilemma by food writer guru Michael Pollan and in the award-winning film documentary, FOOD INC.

Salatin has authored eight books himself, including EVERYTHING I WANT TO DO IS ILLEGAL: War stories from the local food front and FOLKS, THIS AIN’T NORMAL: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World.

Here are just a few of the guiding principles that made Polyface famous:
* TRANSPARENCY: Anyone is welcome to visit the farm anytime. No trade secrets, no locked doors, every corner is camera-accessible.
* GRASS-BASED: Pastured livestock and poultry, moved frequently to new “salad bars,” offer landscape healing and nutritional superiority.
* INDIVIDUALITY: Providing plants and animals with a habitat that allows them to express their physiological distinctiveness is a foundation for societal health.
* COMMUNITY: We do not ship food. We should all seek food closer to home, in our foodshed, our own bioregion. This means enjoying seasonality and reacquainting ourselves with our home kitchens.
* NATURE’S TEMPLATE: Mimicking natural patterns on a commercial domestic scale ensures moral and ethical boundaries to human cleverness. Cows are herbivores, not omnivores; therefore Polyface did not follow the United States Department of Agriculture’s suggestion to feed them dead cows (the alleged cause of “mad cows”).

A sought-after conference speaker whose speaking and writing reflect dirt-under-the-fingernails experience, Joel Salatin passionately defends small farms, local food systems and the right to opt out of the conventional food paradigm. His humorous and conviction-based speeches are akin to theatrical performances, often receiving standing ovations.

Obtaining free tickets to this landmark event is as easy as emailing bigbearlighthouse@gmail.com.

JOEL SALATIN, AMERICAN FARMER @ the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center
Wednesday, 5/22/13, 6:30 p.m.

Big Bear Lake, CA, June 6, 2013 – The Coalition Against Sex Trafficking (C.A.S.T.) will present a public awareness event at the PAC tonight, to inform the public about the sexual exploitation of children occurring in San Bernardino County. The program begins at 6:00 p.m, and since the subject matter is not appropriate for children; child care will be provided by Rainbow Kids.

Sex trafficking occurs when males or females are forced or coerced into the commercial sex trade, and it happens at much larger rates than most people realize. Trafficking has been found in a wide variety of venues of the overall sex industry, including brothels, strip clubs, escort services and fake massage businesses.

Tonight’s educational program will feature a screening of the documentary Teenage $ex 4 $ale, relevant information from local agencies, an expert panel discussion and speakers that include San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos.

According to Christopher Lee — Public Affairs Officer for the DA’s office and Director of Teenage $ex 4 $ale – since his office announced the formation of the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit in January, they have filed 11 cases against pimps whose victims are between the ages of 14 and 17.

The C.A.S.T. team comprises Bonnie Shaffer, Tanya Perry, E.T. Russell, Karen Mathieu, Heather Obernolte, Liz Harris and Kathi Harper. For more information prior to tonight’s event, call the Breakthrough Task Force at (909) 878-0101 ext. 306.

Information on the National Human Trafficking Resource Center is available at (888) 373-7888 or by logging on to www.polarisproject.org.

Big Bear Lake, CA, July 15, 2013 – People who think low-water landscaping mean a lackluster yard are in for a surprise. The Xeriscape Garden Tour celebrates the color and diversity of native and drought tolerant plants on their 11th annual tour, showcasing homes that exemplify the best in water conservation through Xeriscape landscaping.

The Big Bear Valley had below average snowfall during the 2012-2013 winter, increasing the fire risk in an even dryer-than-usual forest. The Xeriscape Garden tour offers tips, advice, and information on how to not only combat increases in water needs, but how to meld drought- tolerant and fire smart landscapes to create defensible space.

The 2013 tour on Saturday, July 20th will feature seven gardens, two nurseries and the Flower Show at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center. Highlights of the tour include:

• a FireWise home, which showcases how to be both drought-tolerant and fire safe at the same time;
• native plant expert Orchid Black at Hunters Nursery answering questions about the benefits of native plants;
• the Jim Otterstrom Earth Home Garden Award, presented to the garden that has created the most natural setting, including but not limited to native plants. The Otterstrom yard is living proof that native plants are the best way to landscape, and with Jim and Peggy Otterstrom handing out seeds, sage advice and lemonade, it was a perennial favorite on the tour.

This year the club will also grant the Water Wise award for the yard that uses the least amount of water, and attendees will have the chance to vote for their favorite home on the tour with the People’s Choice award.

Participants can start the free tour any time between 9 am and noon at Eminger’s Mountain Nursery, which will have a number of booths on hand with information on composting, water conservation and native plants. Attendees will have until 4:00 pm to complete the self-guided tour. Tour booklets, a map to the locations and directional signs will help attendees drive from one location to the next. Sierra Club volunteers will be at each home to guide arrivals and point out landscape features.

The sponsors responsible for making this a free tour to the public are as follows: Bear Valley Fire Agencies, City of Big Bear Lake, Big Bear City CSD, DWP, Eminger’s Mountain Nursery, Hunters Nursery, MDMRA Master Composters, Nativescapes, Stalcup Landscaping and TSL Landscaping.

Big Bear Lake, CA, September 12, 2013 — On Saturday, September 14, the next Miss Big Bear will be crowned at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center. Contestants will be judged on personality, poise and presence in a pageant that dates back to the mid-1970′s.  Prior to that, Big Bear girls vied for the title of “Snow Queen.”

This year’s contestants are Alexis Contreras, Alice Taylor, Allison Cawley, Arielle Moreno, Burgundy Weathersbee, Carla Irene Bravo Silva, Delaney Warren, Diana Escorcia, Emily Victoria Kelsey, Jessica Suzanne Brasher, Joy Elizabeth Campbell, Kodie Cash, Kylar Carmody, Leesha Zamorano, Maria Guadalupe Ayala, Mirandah Avila, Raven Mercy Young, Sarah Lauren Villarino, Savannah Kaleigh Fleischmann, Siena Mossman and Soleil Olsen.

Last year’s Miss Big Bear was Tori Waner.

This Saturday’s competition begins at 5:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased from any of this year’s contestants or from Show Director Cortney Seifert Warmsley. Cortney can be reached by text at (951) 415-8287 or by email.

Big Bear Lake, CA, September 15, 2013 –With 21 hopefuls vying for the title, Jessica Brasher was crowned Miss Big Bear in a ceremony at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center last night. Her court consists of 1st-runner-up Kodie Cash, 2nd-runner-up Delaney Warren, 3rd-runner-up Raven Young and 4th-runner-up Lexi Contreras. The five girls now begin a yearlong reign that will include making public appearances and serving as role models for local youth.

Jessica told KBHR, “It is such an incredible opportunity to be able to represent my home town. I look forward to being able to participate in all of the wonderful events our community is offering this year. I would like to express my gratitude to all of the contestants for their tremendous love and support throughout this journey, as well as our directors Courtney and Teresa for putting in so much time and effort. It truly is a blessing to be able to work with so many amazing people. I look forward to this upcoming year; I have no doubt that it will be memorable.”

The Miss Big Bear Pageant is a scholarship pageant.  The competition components are Personal Interview, Onstage Presence and Speaking, and Evening Gown Elegance. In addition, the contestants have been earning points since June for activities such as the timely completion of their duties and adhering to the Miss Big Bear code of conduct.

Details can be found on the pageant website.

                                 A.C.O.D. follows Carter (Adam Scott), a seemingly well-adjusted Adult Child of Divorce.  Having survived the madness of his parents’ (Richard Jenkins and Catherine O’Hara) divorce, Carter now has a successful career and supportive girlfriend (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).  But when his younger brother (Clark Duke) gets engaged, Carter is forced to reunite his bitterly divorced parents and their new spouses (Amy Poehler and Ken Howard) for the wedding, causing the chaos of his childhood to return including his wacky therapist (Jane Lynch). Director Stu Zicherman cowrote the screenplay with Ben Karlin.

The Film Arcade granted this special screening to the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival (BBLIFF), who is honoring A.C.O.D.’s composer, Nick Urata, with the Film Music Award of Excellence the previous evening.

Composer Nick Urata

Urata shared this about his experience:

“As I got to know Stu Zuckerman and Ben Carlin, who wrote the film, I learned they had been struggling for 10 years to bring the story to life. It was such a thrill to see a first-time director gracefully navigate all the pitfalls of an Indie film and end up with a triumphant trip to Sundance. You form very intense relationships on these projects and I now consider Stu like a brother.”

He added, “This film came to me at the perfect time. I had just come off of a five-month stint of scoring two rather depressing films, and I really needed a laugh. I was hooked from the very first scene, I think almost everyone can relate to what’s happening on screen in this one. I was touched by the personal connection to the childhood friends.”

Nick Urata will receive the Film Music Award of Excellence the evening of September 20, 2013 at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center. Presenting the award will be Phil Gallo, a senior correspondent for Billboard magazine, where he writes about the music industry, film and television projects and artists. Gallo is co-author of the book “Record Store Days” and has written about music for more than 25 years for publications such as Daily Variety, the Los Angeles Times and LA Weekly.

Big Bear Lake, October 17, 2013 – The Big Bear Theatre Project is presenting the final three performances  of “13″ this week at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center, and tonight’s show is half-off for locals. On October 17 only, ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Show time is 7:30 p.m.

The musical features a rock score from Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown and is directed by Steve Cassling, with Musical Direction by Brian Adams and Choreography by Amber Carpenter.

“13″ opened on Broadway in 2008 and ran for 137 performances. The show follows 12-year-old Evan Goldman as he is about to turn 13. When his parents get divorced and he’s forced to move from New York to a small town in Indiana, Evan just wants to make friends and survive the school year. Easier said than done. The star quarterback is threatening to ruin his life and his only friend, Patrice, won’t talk to him. The school freak sees an opportunity for blackmail and someone is spreading the nastiest rumors.

The local cast is Joshua Hoffman, Delaney Warren, Spencer Cassling, Kortney Carmody, Betsy Johnson, Dakota Panczak, Cheyenne Baragiola, Sierra Willis, Madison Laski, Nic Renick, Tony Tardibuono and McKinley Warren.

The Big Bear Theatre Project calls “13″ a hilarious, high-energy musical for all ages about discovering that cool is where you find it, and sometimes where you least expect it. The ensemble nurtures new talent and is commited to cultivating the next generation of theatre artists. For more information, call (909) 800-5783 or visit them online.

Tickets & Show times at the PAC

Thursday, October 17th: 7:30 PM ($10/$5)
Friday, October 18th: 7:30 PM ($20/$10)
Saturday, October 19th: 7:30 PM ($20/$10)

Big Bear Lake, CA, December 18, 2013 – In what’s becoming a favorite local tradition, the Big Bear Theater Project is presenting its hilarious version of a Dickens classic. “A Christmas Carol Askew…Redo!” opens Thursday night for a four-show run at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center (PAC).

The production is another Panto, which is an interactive style of theater that lets audiences join in the fun. It stars its creators: Steve Cassling, Ty Warren, and Brian Adams. For a video clip of the show, visit the Big Bear Theater Project’s website.

Show times at the PAC are December 19, 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 22.

The Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center is located at 39707 Big Bear Blvd. in Big Bear Lake.

Big Bear Lake, CA, January 28, 2014 – The annual Big Bear Idol Music Competition will be held at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center on Saturday February 22nd, at 6:00pm. Residents and visitors alike are encouraged to attend this free concert to support our talented local musicians. Refreshments at intermission will be provided by members of the Big Bear Lake Rotary Club who also sponsor the event.

The musical competition is open to high school age singers and instrumentalists of all levels and provides them with an opportunity to perform before a live audience. For many, it enhances their career opportunities. Past winners have gone on to study music at the college level and perform professionally.

The top three musicians in each category will receive cash prizes. First place winners will have the opportunity to compete at the Rotary district level. In the past, Big Bear students have done very well in the District wide competition.

For further information on how to get involved in this year’s Big Bear Lake Rotary Club Annual Big Bear Idol Music Competition, contact John or Barbara King at (909)585-8339.

Big Bear Lake, CA, February 9, 2014 – The Big Bear Lighthouse Project’s Vision Summit is something hundreds of people look forward to every year. In fact, it sold out in 2013, headlined as it was by the bestselling author and farming philosopher Joel Salatin, whose mission is to “develop economically, environmentally and emotionally enhancing agricultural enterprises and facilitate their duplication throughout the world.” For this year’s Summit, the Lighthouse Project has chosen a keynote speaker who’ll build on Salatin’s message that healing the food system can also heal communities.

Stephen Ritz–aka “The Bronx Gardener”–is a green innovator, social entrepreneur and a featured educator in a book released last fall called American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom. His work has been featured on TNT, Today, ABC, CNN and Forbes, and he has a green education and innovation blog on the Huffington Post.

Ritz says the biggest bullies in school are junk food items like mac-and-cheese, popcorn and potato chips, soda and sugary drinks masquerading as juices. But he didn’t just complain about them, he taught his students how to grow vegetables in classrooms, then he taught others to do so. His classroom’s “edible wall” routinely generates enough produce to feed healthy meals to 450 students. and his extended student and community network have now grown more than 30,000 pounds of vegetables in the Bronx.

The process has engaged Ritz’s students so much that daily attendance has risen from 40 percent to 93 percent, with improved academic performance. It’s also created 2,200 youth jobs as part of the youngest nationally certified workforce in America, providing living wages on the way to graduation. And by eating what he and his students grow, Ritz has lost 100 pounds and gained numerous accolades. They include:

* US EPA Award for transforming mindsets and landscapes in NYC
* ABC Above and Beyond Award
* 2012 Chevrolet National Green Educator Award
* Citywide Award of Excellence from the NYC Strategic Alliance for Health­ for creating a healthy school environment
* Green Apple Education Ambassadorship for the U.S. Green Building Council
* Designation of the “Green Bronx Machine” as one of five national exemplars of service learning by the National Association of Secondary School Principals

He is currently working on embedding the concepts of sustainability and environmental justice into K-12 programming and beyond, to instill in the next generation the value of creating “self sustaining local economic engines.”

The Big Bear Lighthouse Project presents their next Vision Summit on April 9, 2014 at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center. Free tickets are available by emailing your name and the number of tickets you’d like to BigBearLighthouse@gmail.com.

Big Bear Lake, CA, March 26, 2014 – Early next month, the Big Bear Lake Hospital Foundation will present a concert whose proceeds will help fund their purchase of child car seats for the Mom and Dad Project.

“Divas Duets” will star Kim Boda, Elena Peavy, and Nancy Walker, along with guest singers Bill Ferguson, Michael McConnell and Brett Smith. The group will perform jazz standards and Broadway favorites accompanied by a live band that features Michael Reno on piano, Mark Cade on stand-up bass, and Steve Boggio on drums.

Besides playing piano, Reno has arranged a six-part medley to showcase each voice in harmony. The whole concert features the singers in various combinations of duos and trios, with a theme of love and friendship.

The two performances will be at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center on April 5th at 7:30 pm, and on April 6th at 1:30. Wine will be available before the performance and during a short intermission between the two acts. The $25 tickets can be bought in advance by calling (909) 866-4970 or online.

Big Bear Lake, CA, June 25, 2014 - David Leach got special recognition and a lot of laughs at The Arts Council’s annual meeting this month. The board of directors thanked him for his 14 years of work on behalf of The Council, shared stories about his many accomplishments, and presented him with a plaque. Holding the plaque up to the audience he said, “You know where this is going: right up on the wall at my Barnstorm office!” Dave can often be seen in the company of friends in his favorite booth at the Barnstorm Restaurant at the airport.

Dave’s long tenure included eight years as president, a position from which he just recently retired. He was known as the cheerful “front man” at nearly every Council event, and played major roles in upgrading equipment at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center and establishing an art gallery in the Village. Now, he says he hopes to “contribute in less official ways.”

Dave is well known for his activities outside the Arts Council too. As a past “Man About Town” and a frequent participant in other charitable causes.

The Arts Council of Big Bear Valley is currently focused on creating a Village Arts Campus—a cultural center where visual and performing artists from throughout the area can teach, create and share the arts for the enrichment of youth and the community.

Miss Teen Big Bear Brandy Murphy (L) and Miss Big Bear Marcie Pfeifer enjoy the spotlight.

Big Bear Lake, CA, September 14, 2014 – [Reported by Cathy Herrick] The annual Miss Big Bear Pageant took place at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center Saturday night, giving 23 young women a chance to practice their poise and public speaking.

The evening’s entertainment included a dance number with all of this year’s contestants and songs from 2014 Miss Big Bear Jessica Brasher and 2013 Miss Big Bear Tori Waner. The scholarship competition required each contestant to introduce herself and her sponsor, and to dress first in a style that reflected her interests, then to wear an evening gown.

For the first time in the history of the pageant, a Miss Teen Big Bear category was added for high school juniors. The six hopefuls were asked questions such as, “Would you rather be liked or respected?” The judges narrowed the field down to two, naming Dalaney Doyle as 1st runner-up and Brandy Murphy as the first-ever Miss Teen Big Bear.

The judges selected five Miss Big Bear finalists from a field of 17 and posed questions to them, ultimately crowning Marcella Pfiefer. The full 2015 court consists of 1st runner-up Hannah Renick, 2nd runner-up Taylor Waner, 3rd runner-up Madison Waner and 4th runner-up Hannah Burak (sponsored by Rick and Cathy Herrick of KBHR).

Alexi Egerer won the Miss Photogenic award and Emily Ploense won the Miss Congeniality and Spirit of Miss Big Bear awards. In another event highlight, the 2008 Miss Big Bear, Katie Bumstead, took the stage to say a few words and was surprised by her boyfriend joining her, getting down on one knee and proposing to her in front of the crowd (she said yes).

The 2015 Miss Big Bear Court

Big Bear, CA, December 5, 2014 – The American High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall has selected Big Bear High School Junior, Kortney Carmody, to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City in February 2015. The nominated candidates were asked to submit a 5 minute recording featuring their best classical repertoire. On October 31, Kortney was informed that she was selected as one of the nation’s top 200 high school performers chosen to sing at Carnegie Hall. Miss Carmody will attend a five day program in New York City, rehearsing with other finalists from across the United States and Canada, and culminating with the concert at Carnegie Hall on Sunday, February 22, 2015.

Kortney is a student from the voice studio of Diane Sloan Kubeja, where she has been studying for 10 years. Diane has had 8 of her students selected to sing at Carnegie Hall over the past 2 years, with Kortney being the ninth, which is quite an accomplishment.

If you’d like to hear Kortney Carmody sing, as well as the other talented vocalists from the Voice Studio of Diane Sloan Kubeja, the 2014 Winter Voice Recital will be taking place on Sunday December 7th at 2:00 pm at the Performing Arts Center in Big Bear Lake.

Big Bear Lake, CA, December 8, 2014 – A community memorial service for City Clerk, Cheri Haggerty Lawrence and her baby Declan, who passed away on the night of Tuesday, November 25th, will be held Tuesday December 9, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. in Hofert Hall at the Performing Arts Center located at 39707 Big Bear Blvd., in Big Bear Lake.

The Big Bear community, colleagues, and friends throughout the state mourn the sudden and tragic loss to the Lawrence family. Cheri is survived by her husband, Director of Public Works/City Engineer David Lawrence; children Aiden and Kaelee; and her parents, Bob and Peggy Frost. Cheri will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Cheri’s name to The Mom & Dad Project. For more information on donating, contact Tina Wade at (909)878-2326.

Big Bear Lake, CA, December 9, 2014 – The Big Bear Lake City Council met on Monday night in a largely ceremonial manner to thank former Mayor Jay Obernolte for his 4 years of service and to congratulate him on his successful run for the California State Assembly.

Rick Herrick in his third term, David Caretto in his second term, and Randall Putz in his first term were sworn into office. In addition, the City Council performed its annual reorganization in which a new mayor and other chairs are selected and voted upon by the sitting council members. Unanimous votes were cast for Dave Caretto as Mayor and Bill Jahn as Mayor Pro-Tem. In addition, Rick Herrick was voted in as Chairman of the Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District, with Randy Putz taking the Vice Chairman’s position. The former Improvement Agency, now known as the Successor Agency, Chairmanship will be handled by Bob Jackowski.

Mayor Caretto adjourned the council meeting in the name of Cheri Haggerty Lawrence who unexpectedly passed away on November 25th. A celebration of life and memorial service will be held for her tonight, Tuesday December 9, 2014, at 6:00 p.m. in Hofert Hall at the Performing Arts Center.